Beowulf – A Thousand Years of Baggage is an exhilarating SongPlay based on the 9th century epic poem that hearkens back to the raw and rousing style of storytelling in the old Scandinavian mead halls. Mixing reverence, provocation and satire, this award-winning, critically acclaimed extravaganza posits the notion of Hero versus Monster and defends this most dreaded Old English document through rowdy debate. Backed by an explosive, blaring seven-piece band, the show swells into a jubilant celebration of Beowulf. Battles emerge in the aisles and on top of tables, plunging the audience into the middle of this unique theater experience while enjoying a beer from the bar. Original music combines Weillian cabaret, 40’s jazz harmony, punk, electronica and Romantic Lieder, turning the stage into a cacophonous swirl.

Come see Beowulf in all the glory of Galapagos Art Space! We’re heading down to the Adelaide Festival and need your hoots and hollers to get us going. Come support Beowulf on the next leg of it’s world domination!!

In its 37th year, the Kilkenny Arts Festival was originally founded by a group of classical music enthusiasts. More recently it has broadened its programming to Theatre & Dance, Classical Music, Music, Wired, Street, Literature, Visual Art and Craft. It’s commitment is to bring work to Kilkenny that would not be seen outside the festival context, and to commission and produce new work from Ireland and abroad.

PRESS

“The resulting adaptation skewers, celebrates, and deconstructs “Beowulf’’ in an effort to reclaim it from years of academic analysis and return it to its roots as a visceral, pulse-pounding tale.”– The Boston Globe

EDINBURGH

“Yay! This is such fun. Smart, thoughtful and tuneful, too…Beneath the poking fun at academia, the deconstructions, the rock anthems and the swagger is an interesting consideration of patriarchy, outsiders and what it means to be a muscle-bound warrior…There’s a terrific band, witty lyrics, severed limbs, a goldfish bowl full of blood and a fantastic ensemble who use the space with swaggering confidence…boldly theatrical, full of bravado and even as it playfully tears the narrative apart, it never forgets that it has a story to tell”– Lyn Gardner, The Guardian

“5 Stars…Beowulf – A Thousand Years of Baggage is one of those shows that makes the Fringe: a riotous performance and a great example of how stunning experimental theatre can be. Actors and musicians roam about the spherical room, hiding behind pillars, kicking over chairs in blind rage, standing atop tables and helping themselves to drinks at the bar, even offering them to the audience. It’s messy but effective and we are immersed in an underworld of betrayal and Anglo-Saxon limb extraction. The music is thunderous and unpredictable, supported by emotive and pitch-perfect vocals. The spoken portions are poetic and melt effortlessly into the accompanying music and acting…While it’s cacophonous and brutal, there are moments of tenderness such as those between Grendel and his malevolent mother. Beowulf is gritty, daring, intelligent and cleverly executed.” – Rebecca Paul, The Skinny

“Raucous and defiantly raw…pairing a full band that encompass numerous musical styles – from Weillian cabaret and jazz harmony to punk, electronica and more experimental sounds – with a some brilliantly understated performances, the result is unpretentious, yet also rousing…This is a production about breaking down the conventions of classical adaptations and celebrating an anarchic style that might not encompass every plot detail, but captures a visceral truth that traditionalists may have forgotten.”– Sally Stott, The Scotsman

NEW YORK

“…This stripped-down version of Banana Bag and Bodice’s metamusing on the Old English epic seems funnier and more terrifying than ever…”
– Helen Shaw, Time Out New York

“…always a good stomping rock number and a stylized ass-kicking coming soon…Seeing this cracked Beowulf may not earn students extra credit, but it’s an irresistible excuse to cut class.”– David Cote, Time Out New York